There are common steps associated with goal achievement. They are:

• Aim high.
• Write your goals down.
• Set a time limit or deadline.
• Identify those people and organizations that can help you reach your goals.
• Consider multiple facets of your life including family, career, health, etc.

I have often been asked if there is more to the process of goal achievement than these steps. My answer? Yes there is. While the goal setting process outlined above is quite valuable, and perhaps fundamental, I have found nuances to the goal-setting process, typically not discussed. Here are seven steps that will accelerate your goal achievement:

Step One: Assume Success: It All Begins With The Way You Think
Top achievers think differently. First they conceive, plan, and work on their goals with a level of expectation that is foreign to most people. They do not say, "I'll try this, and see what happens," or "This might work, you never know." Achievers proceed toward their goals with a level of confidence that cause others to think they have inside knowledge about how to make their goals a reality. It is this level of expectation that gives them the laser focus needed to see possibilities that most do not see. More importantly, they are actually living, their goals long before they are achieved.

Step Two: Identify and Focus On Your Primary Goals
Intensifying your focus on a few goals is often easier for those beginning to refine their own goal achievement process. Having just a few goals makes each goal much more real because you cannot get lost in a lengthy list of plans and projects. As you develop more experience and confidence in the goal setting process, you can expand your goal list and potentially work on 10, 20, or 30 or more goals at the same time. However I recommend that most people trim their goal list down to a very manageable group of 7.

Step Three: Examine And Clarify Your Beliefs and Values
A big obstacle for many seeking accelerated goal achievement is being out of sync with their goals. That is, many say, they want to achieve certain things but do not really believe in their ability to achieve their goals or totally value their goals. As a result they unconsciously minimize their ability to achieve their stated intentions. To reach you goals fast you have to be sure that your goals really reflect your true beliefs and values. After setting your goals, be honest with yourself about whether these are really your beliefs and commitments.

Step Four: Immerse Yourself In The Process Daily
This is an important step that many goal setters are unaware of. Top achievers live their goals. Many unconsciously work with their goals every day. It's a good idea for you to take this approach consciously. I believe strongly in working with my goals twice a day at minimum, once in the morning, and once in the evening.

I have spiral notebook in which I write my goals. In that notebook I have also developed my Statement of Achievement. This statement opens my goal list and closes my goal list. It sets the tone for the goals to follow. I recommend that you write your own, Statement of Achievement and that you write your statement and your list of goals twice a day. Sometimes you'll want to even go back more and recite the statement as it occurs to you during the day.

Step Five: Recognize and Act On Your Intuition
Balancing your internal process with your external process is step five of my accelerated goal achievement process. First you want to become sensitive to the ideas and solutions that are presented to you thousands of times daily.

You are always receiving ideas, insights, and greater details that pertain to your goals throughout the day. Once you decide to really focus on your goal setting and achievement this will become more noticeable. It's important that you capture this information. Carry a journal with you and write down the sparks of insight you receive throughout the day. These are the quickest paths to your goals. When you take action on these items you will be led into circumstances that will, in turn, set you on a direct path to your goal.

Step Six: Overcome Your Resistance
We all tend to hesitate, re-consider, and even procrastinate. We have impulses that we ignore. There are actions we won't take. We don't make calls. We don't write letters. We don't send emails. Sometimes others will offer ideas and suggestions, but we don't want to be counseled or coached. There are so many examples of how we resist achieving our own goals. You must become conscious of your resistance and learn to breakthrough this resistance.

Step Seven: Establish Positive Triggers
You can and should train yourself to remain focused on your goals and your ability to achieve them by establishing psychological triggers that bring you to the right focus and state of accomplishment quickly. Psychological triggers include words that quickly bring you back to your aim, images representing the successful accomplishment of your goals, and even music that affects you emotionally and gives you the feeling of success and accomplishment.

Achieving your goals requires the right thinking and the right actions, sometimes for an extended period of time. However, these tips will help you develop a winning strategy that will keep your progress steady and pointed in the right direction.

Copyright © 2006 André Taylor, Taylor Insight Group, LLC.
André Taylor is an idea leader for entrepreneurs and growing companies. He works with organizations to significantly enhance corporate capabilities and performance. He's the author of the business-building system, '81 Lessons of The Natural Entrepreneur' and a collection of audio and video programs providing extraordinary insight and commentary on the subjects of entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, marketing, innovation, and growth. Visit: André Taylor.com and read André's free newsletter.

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